When Fantasy meets Sci-Fi: in a surprising move, Black Desert Online developer Pearl Abyss has announced that it is going to acquire CCP Games, makers of the popular space-based MMORPG EVE Online.

The deal between the two developers state that CCP Games will continue to operate independently, with its studios based in Reykjavik, London and Shanghai, while integrating its development expertise into Pearl Abyss' current and future games. No financial details of the deal were revealed.

It's impressive how the success of one game – Black Desert Online – can drastically change the status of a studio. No matter what anyone has to say about it, Black Desert Online is one of the best MMORPGs available and clearly has a dedicated team working on it. Black Desert Mobile, on the other hand, was released earlier this year in Korea and is already seeing record-high sales, with the global launch planned for the first quarter of 2019.

CCP Games is currently working on the EVE Online-based first-person shooter Project Nova, a PC exclusive that should be revealed later this year.

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Pearl Abyss CEO Robin Jung stated, “We are thrilled to have CCP Games join our team as Black Desert Online continues to branch out globally. CCP is a seasoned publisher with over 15 years of digital distribution experience and know-how. They have done an incredible job of engaging and maintaining their playerbase, which we aim to learn from and hope to integrate natively into Pearl Abyss’ general practices across all our games. I am confident CCP’s reputable IP and expertise in global publishing will help reaffirm our company’s dedication to developing and servicing the world’s best MMORPGs.”

“I have been seriously impressed with what Pearl Abyss has achieved ever since I first visited their website for Black Desert Online and subsequently became an avid player of the game,” said CCP Games CEO Hilmar Veigar Pétursson. “Pearl Abyss is a fast-growing company with lots to offer in terms of technology, capability and vision. I believe our two companies have a lot to learn from each other. We are very excited to join forces with them and achieve great new heights for our companies, our games and – above all – our players.

Birgir Már Ragnarsson of Novator Partners and Chairman of CCP commented, “As lead investor in CCP for over 13 years alongside General Catalyst and NEA, we’ve seen CCP go from being a few dozen people strong to employing hundreds all over the world, with an ever-increasing customer base and multiple titles. CEO Hilmar V. Pétursson and his dedicated team have built a company that Novator and its partners are proud to hand over to Pearl Abyss and we wish them the best of luck in their future ventures.”